“Stand there and hold it?” I fire back. “Unless you have military grade wire tires and a pole laying around, we really don’t have another option.”
Jonah finds a gravel turnout just off the county road and brings the SUV to a stop. The moment the engine cuts off, I can hear it—that distinctive freight-train rumble that makes the hair on my arms stand up. It’s distant, but closing fast.
“Max, stay,” I command as we pile out of the vehicle. He whines but remains in the backseat, watching us.
The wind hits me as soon as I open the door, nearly knocking me off-balance. My injured shoulder screams in protest as I brace myself against the SUV.
Jonah appears at my side, steadying me with a hand at my elbow. “Careful. Wind’s picking up.”
“This is nothing,” I shout over the growing roar. “Just wait.”
Lucas scrambles out behind us, clutching the repaired console to his chest like it’s a newborn. His styled hair whips wildly in the wind, transforming him from polished TV personality to someone who looks like they’ve stuck their fingerin an electrical socket. Despite everything, I can’t help but find it satisfying.
“Where do you want this?” he yells, holding up the equipment.
Jonah points to a spot about twenty yards from the vehicle. “There! Far enough from the road but still within range of our receiver!”
I squint against the wind, taking in our surroundings. The field stretches out before us, nothing but scrubby grass and the occasional fence post. Clear visibility. Above us, the clouds have begun to rotate, swirling like water circling a drain.
“Lucas, set up there!” I point with my good arm. “Jonah, can you check to see if there’s anything we can use to anchor it down?”
They both spring into action, Lucas lugging the equipment toward the designated spot while Jonah sprints back to the SUV. I follow Lucas, my eyes never leaving the sky. The rotation is tightening, the clouds darkening to that distinctive greenish tint.
The wind whips my hair across my face as I watch Lucas fumble with the equipment, his hands shaking against the gusts. There’s something almost comical about seeing him in the field—his expensive windbreaker, which he threw on in the SUV, flapping like an agitated flag, his camera-ready hair now standing straight up.
“Careful with that pressure sensor!” I shout over the howl. “It’s the only one we’ve got left!”
Lucas gives me a thumbs up that’s immediately blown sideways by another gust. Above us, the clouds are spinning faster now, a dark carousel of vapor and fury. This storm means business.
Jonah jogs back toward us, carrying what looks like a small tool kit and some bungee cords. His face is focused, intense in a way that sends an inappropriate flutter through my stomachdespite the approaching danger. Leave it to him to be utterly irresistible with a storm bearing down on us. If only Lucas wasn’t here…we could be checking something off my very dusty sex bucket list right now. Alas, it’ll have to wait.
“We need to secure this fast,” he calls, dropping to his knees beside Lucas. “The rotation is accelerating.”
I scan the horizon, where the bottom of the clouds are starting to reach downward like curious fingers. “We’ve got maybe five minutes before this thing really gets going,” I warn them.
Lucas glances up as he follows my gaze. “Holy shit,” he breathes, forgetting his broadcaster polish.
Jonah works quickly, his fingers deft as he secures the equipment with bungee cords to a fence post we hadn’t noticed from the road. The wind tears at his hair, plastering his shirt against his chest.
“Focus, Brooks,” I mutter to myself. “Ogle the professor later.”
“What was that?” Lucas shouts over the wind.
“Nothing!” I yell back, grateful the howling storm swallowed most of my words. I turn my attention to the equipment. “Is it transmitting?”
Jonah checks the display, then gives me a thumbs up. “We’re getting readings!”
Another gust of wind nearly knocks me sideways, and I stumble, my injured shoulder connecting with Jonah’s chest. He steadies me automatically, his arm wrapping around my waist in a way that feels both protective and easy.
“You okay?” he asks, his mouth close to my ear to be heard over the storm.
“Never better,” I reply, and I mean it.
Despite the chaos around us, there’s a moment of stillness between us—his arm at my waist, my body against his. Then Lucas’s voice shatters it.
“Guys! Look!”
I tear my attention from Jonah’s face to follow Lucas’s pointing finger. In the distance, a funnel cloud is beginning to take shape, descending from the churning mass above. My heart hammers against my ribs as that surge of adrenaline floods my system.
